Latest news with #Ishbia
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Reports: Twins sale has momentum toward $1.7B asking price
May 29 - Minnesota Twins ownership is making progress toward a sale of the major league team, with several prospective buyers touring Target Field and meeting with the Pohlad family, according to multiple media reports. The Pohlad family, which has owned the Twins since 1984, announced in October 2024 that the franchise was for sale, with a $1.7 billion asking price. The Pohlads retained investment bank Allen & Company to guide a potential sale. Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday that there is momentum toward a sale after the process had stalled earlier this year. Billionaire suitors Mat and Justin Ishbia ended their interest in buying the team and instead, according to reports, increased their stake in the Chicago White Sox in February. The Minnesota Star Tribune reported Tuesday that other suitors have traveled to Minneapolis in the past two to three weeks to tour the stadium and meet with the family and team executives. The Pohlads rejected a bid of $1.5 billion, according to Front Office Sports. The franchise is valued at $1.65 billion, 22nd out of 30 MLB teams, according to CNBC calculations last month. Forbes and Sportico estimated in March that the Twins are valued between $1.5 billion and $1.7 billion. For a recent comparison, the Baltimore Orioles were sold in 2024 for a reported $1.725 billion to private-equity executive David Rubinstein. One possible friction point for potential buyers is the Twins' $452 million in debts, according to multiple reports. The late Carl Pohlad paid $44 million to buy the Twins. Since his death in 2009, his son Jim has been the controlling owner. Jim's nephew, Joe Pohlad, has been handling primary administration responsibilities since 2022. --Field Level Media
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Suns Cut List of Head Coach Candidates to Four
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Phoenix Suns are currently looking for their fourth head coach in as many seasons under team majority owner Mat Ishbia, sources inform John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix. Gambadoro initially reported that Miami Heat assistant coach Chris Quinn and Cleveland Cavaliers assistant coaches Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott had all made the cut. Not accurate. It is down to four. Chris Quinn, Johnnie Bryant and Jordan Ott I can confirm through various sources are in the Final Four. — John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 27, 2025 Later, Gambadoro revealed that Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Sean Sweeney is slated to interview for the gig on Weds., which when correlated with Gambadoro's previous reporting suggests that Sweeney is the fourth contender. Hearing Dallas assistant Sean Sweeney is heading to Phoenix to interview in person for the head coaching job tomorrow. — John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 27, 2025 Multiple sources inform Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic, however, that Minnesota Timberwolves assistant coach Micah Nori is also still a candidate. Rankin lists three names that overlap with Gambadoro's reporting: Quinn, Ott and Sweeney. More Phoenix Suns News: Kevin Durant May Have Fueled Trade Rumors With Latest Comments Phoenix initially had been looking at between 15 and 20 contenders for the job. This past weekend, the club concluded Zoom interviews with a group of nine finalists, according to Gambadoro. Second round of interviews for Suns head coaching job just finished up - most still on zoom. In next day or two finalists will be told and in person meetings scheduled. — John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) May 25, 2025 The Suns have undergone many a transformation since billionaire mortgage lender Ishbia purchased a 57 percent controlling stake in the franchise — and the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury — mostly from disgraced former owner Robert Sarver in Feb. 2023. When Ishbia purchased the club, it had recently acquired 15-time All-Star power forward Kevin Durant, pairing him with 12-time All-Star point guard Chris Paul and four-time All-Star shooting guard Devin Booker, plus athletic center Deandre Ayton, in an effort to return to the NBA Finals following a disappointing second round upset the previous season. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Owner Mat Ishbia of the Phoenix Suns answers questions from the media during a press conference introducing Kevin Durant at Footprint Center on February 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: Owner Mat Ishbia of the Phoenix Suns answers questions from the media during a press conference introducing Kevin Durant at Footprint Center on February 16, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo byInstead, Phoenix was ousted in the second round once again, this time by the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. The Suns fired 2022 Coach of the Year Monty Williams that summer, replacing him with Frank Vogel — who had just won a title with the Los Angeles Lakers two years prior. Paul and Ayton were traded away in the offseason, and the Suns made a questionable trade for pricey, oft-hurt former All-Star guard Bradley Beal. This reconfigured Suns club under Vogel was solid, but didn't quite set the world on fire as all three stars dealt with health issues. Vogel, a defense-first coach, was seen as an awkward fit with the team's offense-first stars. More Phoenix Suns News: Suns Make Dramatic Front Office Change Following Disappointing 2024-25 Season Phoenix went 49-33 in 2023-24 and finished with the Western Conference's No. 6 seed, but got destroyed in a four-game first round playoff sweep by the West Finals-bound Minnesota Timberwolves that spring. Ishbia subsequently canned Vogel in the offseason, bringing in 2019 Coach of the Year and 2021 champion ex-Milwaukee Bucks head coach Mike Budenholzer for 2024-25. This past regular season was an unmitigated disaster. Despite Durant and Booker being relatively healthy, the Suns had absolutely no on-court chemistry together. Phoenix went 36-46 and missed the postseason entirely. Budenholzer was given the boot. All these finalists are unproven as head coaches, but are well-respected as longtime assistants. What Phoenix wants to do with the contracts of Durant and Beal going forward remains to be seen, but it's quite possible the Suns roster will look very different by the time this new coach actually starts overseeing regular season games. More Phoenix Suns News: Suns Reportedly Have Huge Roster Priority This Offseason Suns' Kevin Durant Reportedly Eyeing Trade to Western Conference Squad For more NBA news and rumors, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
New York Times
07-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
What Brian Gregory, an ex-coach light on NBA experience, brings to Suns' GM role
PHOENIX — As a player, Brian Gregory was a point guard who could see plays before they developed. Even today, his coach at Oakland University calls him the most cerebral player he's had in 40-plus years. Gregory understood basketball in a unique way and finished as the school's career leader in assists. As a college coach, Gregory was similar. Those who have worked with him describe him as hard-working, organized, grinding, meticulous, incredibly hard-working, dedicated, passionate, authentic and thorough. One assistant even had a nickname for him: 'The fixer.' Because Gregory knew how to rebuild bottomed-out programs. At a Phoenix Suns news conference Tuesday, Gregory leaned into that experience, even though he has spent little time in the NBA. After Phoenix failed to make the postseason, owner Mat Ishbia this month promoted Gregory to general manager, raising eyes around the league, charging him with changing the organization's identity. 'The knowledge and experience I think puts me in a good position to be successful in this role,' Gregory said at the team's practice facility. 'But I think the thing that's going to separate me and give me the opportunity to make a positive impact is my focus on building that identity and creating that alignment.' The Suns are in a difficult spot. Four years after playing in the NBA Finals, they finished with a losing record, embarrassed and shut out of the Play-In Tournament. They need to make major roster moves but are handcuffed by their position above the second tax apron, a salary threshold that limits how high-spending teams can maneuver. With ownership content to build around star Devin Booker, trading Kevin Durant is a strong possibility. The person leading this effort worked with the Suns two years ago as a consultant. Phoenix officially added him to the front office last June as vice president of player programming. On Tuesday, Gregory called the past two years a 'masterclass' in NBA management, allowing him to assist several branches of the organization. 'When we talk about that, that identity, and we talk about the toughness that you have to play with, the unselfishness that you have to play with, the grit that you have to play with…That's what we need to be.' 🗣️ General Manager Brian Gregory — Phoenix Suns (@Suns) May 6, 2025 Over 30 minutes, the 58-year-old from the Chicago suburbs came across as grateful and determined. He acknowledged that his relationship with Ishbia, which began at Michigan State where Ishbia was a walk-on guard and Gregory was an assistant coach, played a role in his GM promotion. He said he welcomed the owner's involvement. More than anything, Gregory expressed the importance of alignment, a popular buzzword for an organization in transition. If Gregory didn't want to answer a question — such as the importance of getting under the second tax apron — he often transitioned back to alignment, something Ishbia felt the Suns have lacked. This will be scrutinized. Since assuming controlling interest in the Suns in February of 2023, Ishbia has been accused of heavy-handed management. He previously had made basketball decisions along with CEO Josh Bartelstein and then-GM James Jones. With Gregory's promotion, Jones has shifted to an advisory role. Gregory said Tuesday that Bartelstein would continue to be involved in 'every single aspect' of basketball operations, which might lead some to wonder if anything has changed. Gregory's first task will be hiring a head coach, Phoenix's fourth in as many seasons. Ishbia fired Monty Williams after the Suns lost in the 2023 Western Conference semifinals. He fired Frank Vogel in 2024 and Mike Budenholzer last month. Gregory did not offer a timetable but acknowledged that hiring a head coach is a critical move for the direction of the franchise. He added that every move will be an aligned decision. Before Tuesday's news conference, The Athletic talked with coaches, players and administrators who have worked with Gregory. They described a coach who built programs with defense, toughness and rebounding, principles learned while Gregory worked two stints as an assistant coach under Tom Izzo at Michigan State. Chad Dollar, the assistant who calls Gregory 'The Fixer,' said Gregory was among the most organized coaches he's seen. Dollar worked with Gregory at Georgia Tech and South Florida and said that, at each place, Gregory had defined roles for every person on staff. And while neither school made the NCAA Tournament under Gregory's watch, Dollar said the former head coach didn't get enough credit for the foundations he built. 'We would have daily meetings so we could understand what we were doing, what our assignment was, whether it was with recruiting, whether it was with academics, dealing with social media, dealing with alumni,' he said. 'Whatever it was, he made sure that everybody was on task and everybody knew exactly what direction the ship was going.' Gregory was in the college game for 33 years. His best work came at the University of Dayton, where he led the Flyers to two NCAA Tournaments and an NIT title. Later, Gregory spent time with the Utah Jazz during NBA Summer League, just observing. Once he started consulting for the Suns, word started to spread that maybe Gregory had found his next basketball chapter. Oakland University coach Greg Kampe, who coached Gregory in college, ran into former Phoenix star Rex Chapman, who works for the Suns, in a restaurant during the 2024 Final Four. He said Chapman told him that Gregory had started to make his mark. University of Utah athletic director Mark Harlan, who had hired Gregory at South Florida, said he wondered if the former coach had found a second calling. Knowing Gregory's values and work ethic, Harlan had a hunch this might lead to something bigger. This year, Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich, who hired Gregory at Georgia Tech, visited with his former coach before a Duke-Miami game. Gregory was there to scout. 'I think after a while coaches have shelf lives,' Radakovich said. 'And I think Brian had gotten there, but certainly the world of basketball understood his talent and was not going to let somebody with that background and pedigree just sit on the sidelines.' And at the same time: 'This is going to be a really interesting deal because he's not blowing the whistle,' he said. Will Gregory's inexperience matter? In the late 1990s, Kevin O'Neill talked with Izzo shortly after O'Neill had been hired as head coach at Northwestern. Izzo told him that if he needed an assistant coach, he should talk to Gregory. O'Neill thought so much of Izzo, he said he'd hire him, no conversation needed. O'Neill then realized why Izzo liked Gregory so much. He was smart. And no one worked harder. This week, O'Neill, who also coached in the NBA, was asked about the importance of experience. 'You know,' he said, 'when I get on an airplane, I don't want to see some 25-year-old flying the plane. I look for a little gray hair and a guy that's got a little bit of a belly because I think he can figure it out if we're in trouble. 'But (this is) a different business. Brian will learn. He'll make some mistakes. Everybody does. But if anybody can learn on the fly, it will be him. I really believe that.' Gregory on Tuesday didn't promise much, but he said he hopes fans next season notice a difference. As they leave PHX Arena, he'd like to hear them talk about a new identity. Man, that team plays hard. Did you see the second and third effort? Every loose ball, that team was on the floor . That's the identity he seeks. 'We're going to think differently,' Gregory said. 'We're going to be unified in our approach on a daily basis. The results are going to speak for themselves.' (Top photo: Patrick Breen / The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
Hamilton Spectator
07-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia
PHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida. That's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns. Instead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild following one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. 'I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,' Gregory said Tuesday. 'But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together. 'He trusts me and I trust him.' The 58-year-old Gregory was elevated to the general manager's role with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer. Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans. Michigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021. The Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return. Gregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after just one season . It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years. After that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia said last month he wants future Suns teams to feature 'some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.' Gregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason. Beal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag. Gregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert. 'I have a very good relationship with both those guys,' Gregory said. 'Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that. 'My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.' Gregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons. Dunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster. ___ AP NBA:
Winnipeg Free Press
07-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Rookie GM Brian Gregory says he's ready to rebuild the Suns, touts closeness with owner Mat Ishbia
PHOENIX (AP) — Brian Gregory's basketball resume has plenty of gravitas thanks to nearly two decades as an NCAA Division I head coach at Dayton, Georgia Tech and South Florida. That's not why he's the new general manager of the Phoenix Suns. Instead, it is Gregory's 25-year relationship with Suns owner Mat Ishbia that is the major reason he's making the rare transition from college sidelines to an NBA front office. Some may see that as a negative, but Gregory believes his closeness with Ishbia will be an asset as the Suns embark on a difficult rebuild following one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history. FILE -South Florida head coach Brian Gregory calls a play during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Auburn Friday, Nov. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File) 'I'm never going to shy away from the fact that one of the reasons I'm sitting up here is because of my relationship with Mat Ishbia,' Gregory said Tuesday. 'But that relationship is founded on our alignment. Shared values. Shared work ethic. We've been through a lot together. 'He trusts me and I trust him.' The 58-year-old Gregory was elevated to the general manager's role with the Suns last week, with former GM James Jones moving into the role of a senior advisor. Oronde Taliaferro was promoted to assistant general manager and Paul Rivers will add basketball operations responsibilities to his role as chief innovation officer. Gregory was an assistant coach at Michigan State from 1999 to 2003, which was the same time that Ishbia was a walk-on guard for the Spartans. Michigan State enjoyed plenty of success during those years, including a national championship in 2000. Now the Ishbia-Gregory pairing will try to recreate that magic for a franchise that has never won a title in its 57-year history despite making the Finals in 1976, 1993 and 2021. The Suns finished last season with a disappointing 36-46 record despite the league's most expensive roster that included the All-Star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. Booker — a four-time All-Star and franchise icon who has spent all of his 10 seasons in the desert — is the only player who seems certain to return. Gregory's first task this offseason will be hiring a new head coach to replace Mike Budenholzer, who was fired after just one season. It will be the Suns' fourth head coach in four years. After that, it will be time to focus on an expensive but flawed roster. Ishbia said last month he wants future Suns teams to feature 'some grit, some determination, some work ethic, some grind, some joy. We just haven't had that.' Gregory's most valuable trade chip this summer appears to be Durant, who was still one of the NBA's elite scorers last season at 36. The 15-time All-Star averaged 26.6 points on 53% shooting, shows few signs of slowing and will certainly have multiple suitors during the offseason. Beal — a three-time All-Star — could be much more difficult to unload. The oft-injured guard is due more than $50 million next season, but his production hasn't come close to matching the price tag. Gregory said he likes both players, but wasn't ready to comment on their future in the desert. 'I have a very good relationship with both those guys,' Gregory said. 'Kevin gave me a nice hug in the weight room the other night when the news came across Twitter. Had a great dinner with Brad Beal last Thursday and we talked a little about summer plans and different things like that. Winnipeg Free Press | Newsletter Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Sign up for The Warm-Up 'My main focus, to be honest with you, is finding the right head coach for those guys.' Gregory joined the Suns in 2023 and served in several roles, most recently as the vice president of player programming. He had major input in the Suns selecting Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro in last year's draft and both had promising moments during their rookie seasons. Dunn and Ighodaro featured on-court personalities that seem closer to Ishbia's gritty ideals, with the young duo featuring an energy and spirit that was conspicuously lacking from much of the rest of the roster. ___ AP NBA:
